Head lamp



Nov. 15, 1938. v c. A. MICHEL ET AL 7 2,137,092

HEAD LAMP Filed Feb. 12, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 15, 1938.

c. A. MICHEL ET AL 2,137,092

HEAD LAMP I Filed Feb. 12, 1936 4 sheets-sheet 2 NOV. 15; 1938; Q A MICHEL ET L; 2,137,092

' HEAD LAMP Filed Feb. 12, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fobed lzhlzlmgyez Nov. 15, 1938 c. A, MICHEQL ET AL 4 HEAD LAMP 7 Filed Feb. 12, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 d m m I ma Z Patented Nov. 15, 1938 HEAD LAll/[P Clarence A. Michel, Howard G. Mead, and Robert Winkelmeyer, Anderson,- Ind.-, assignors to Gen- 7 eral Motors "Corporation, poration of Delaware Detroit; Mich, a coraptuafionsebrar'y 12, 1936, Serial No. 63,500

6 claimsfwl. amt-4 6) This'invention relates broadly to illuminating apparatus and more specifically :to headlamp structure .for purposes of illuminating the highway infront of a moving vehicle.

It has heretofore beenthe general practiceto mount the headlamp casing of a car so that the same may be moved with respect to the body or frame of (the vehicle for purposes of aiming V the beam in .theproper driving position. However, it has been found advantageous both from the standpointof assembly and maintaining the lamp outer casingto the body orframe.

It is therefore an object of our invention to I provide a headlamp having a plurality of casings, one within the other, theouter casing to be attached to the body and the innerfor adjustment purposes. A i I It is. a further object of our invention to provide a headlamp infwhich all the necessary adjustments for aimingnare self-contained.

Itis a still further object to provide a headlampin which the self-contained adjustments are accessible from outside of the headlamp.

For a better understanding of the nature and the line 22 of Fig. 1.

"Fig. 3 is a front view of the headlamp with the lens and its supporting ring removed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken 7 on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged sectional views taken onthe lines 5-5 and 6--6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a detail'perspective view of a reflector retainer. p

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the spring clip for tilting the reflector. V I i Fig. 9 is a front viewof the innercasing. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section taken through-a headlamp and showing a modified form of our invention. Y

Fig. 11 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken on the line ll--Il-of Fig. 10. v

securing purposes.

a Fig. 12 is a partial front. view with parts broken. away and. shown insection. Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken I3-l3 of Fig. 12.v

Fig. His a similar view to that of Fig. 11 showing a further modified form of the invention: 1

Referring first to theform of invention illustrated by Figs."1-9,,a thin sheetmetal lamp body 2 has a heavy reinforcing plate l Ofthfl same conflguration supported against the inside sur proper adjustment to:rigidly secure thejhea'dface of the body; Adjacent each end of the reinforcing plate 4 there are openings 6 Within which are secured suitable nut supporting and locking members 8 to supportnuts .lliand keep the same from turning. Thev body 2 has openings l2 therein in alignment with the nuts 10 for A mounting bracket comprising partsl l4 and l6v at the front and rear respectively is'securedto the body by bolts 18 threadedv into the interior nuts ill) and having heads 20 on their outer ends. The .bracket'portions l4 and I6 both have attaching bolts 22: cast therein which are adapted to project through the'member upon which the lamp is to be mounted, in this case the radiator shell 24-and the inner reinforcing plate 26. Nuts 28 holdthe assembly in place by being threaded on the bolts-22.

The body 2 is of streamline or teardrop shape with the frontthereof open and the bodyibeing flanged inwardly as at 30 around the opening.

' Fitting within the open end of the ,body 2 .is a sub-v body 32 which is circular, the outer portion dished .inwardly and the peripherybeing flanged outwardly and then forwardly as at. Secured to the outwardly flanged section of the sub-bodyat spaced peripheral points are a plurality of attaching pins 3t having a small body and an enlarged head 38. In the flange 30 at points adjacent the pinpositions of the sub-body there are provided'openings of irregular shape, one end beingenlarged and round and the remainder being an elongated slot. Projecting behind these openings 40 are small spring steel members 42 rigidly secured to the'flange by rivets 44. Itlwill thus be evident that to assemble the sub-body on the body. it is only necessary to apply the pins 36 to theopenings 40 so that the heads 38 will go through the large end and then rotate'the sub-housing which will bring the small shank into the elongated slots and where-the spring 42 hasv a depressed section 46 which. engages the head 38 to maintain it in the end of the slot and keep the sub-body secured to the body.-

on the line. 7

The flange 34 on the sub-body carries in a pressed-in groove 35,- U-shaped in cross section, a deformable seating gasket 48 which is adapted to press against the inner surface of a lens 58 that is supported on the front of the housing by a conventional .clamping ring 52 engaging the flanged edge of the body.

Within thev hollow portion of the sub-body is suspended a reflector 54 in such a manner that it may be rotated about either a vertical ora horizontal axis for aiming purposes. The specific structure of the suspension will now be set forth. On one side of the horizontal axis of the sub-body 32 is attached a long strap 58 by a rivet 58. Two inturned lugs 60 on the strap en-;

made narrower than the main body as at 62 andan elongated opening 64 is provided near its end. This provides two shoulders 66 at the change in section and a spring member 58 having a collar '10, which is adapted to be sprung over the portion 62 and press against the shoulders 66, has two diverging legs I2 which are adapted to press against the inner face of a vertical flange I4 on the edge of the reflector 54. The periphery of the reflector is then bent back uponitself to form a flange I6 in the plane of the axis of the reflector.

The end of the portion 62 extends through an opening I8 in the vertical flange I4 and a retaining lock BI! is adapted'to be inserted through the opening I54 and then turned with its reduced mid-section 82 in the slot 64 and pulled back, its shape being such that it will conform to the shape of the reflector flanges and locks the strap to the reflector edge, the springs I2 holding it tightly in place. This will allow the reflector to pivot about this point.

Diametrically opposite the pivotal support just described, there is provided a similar strap 84, the forward portion of which is identical with the strap 56 having a narrower portion 62 projecting through the flange I4 in an opening I8 with a retaining member to prevent the tongue from being withdrawn through the opening and spring legs I2 to press against the inner surface of the flange to keep the retaining member in close contact.

The main body of the strap 84 extends rear- Wardly through an opening 3? in the sub-body 32 to form portion 86, is then bent at substantially right angles upwardly as at 35 and then forwardly again as at 9B, the foremost end of the latter extending back through another opening 89 in the sub-body. The portion 86, which lies parallel to one side of the sub-body, is movably secured thereto by a rivet 92 rigidly secured to the sub-body and extending through a slot 94 in the strapportion 86, the end of .the rivet carrying a small disk 95 to prevent the strap from slipping off.

A coil helical spring 98 surrounds the portion 96 of the strap behindthe sub-body, one end of which presses against the rear face of the subbody adjacent the opening therein through which the portion projects and the inner face of strapportion 88 and against two lugs I00 pressed from the strap. Therefore the strap 84 may be moved back and forth relative to the sub-frame, the spring tending to keep it to the rear and therefore keep the reflector pulled around on this side. Pressed from the surface of the inner reinforcing plate 4 is a lug I02 which extends toward the interior of the lamp housing. Near the end of the lug is a flanged opening I04 which supports one end of an adjusting rod I06 the end of which contacts with the rear portion 88 of the strap 84 and pushes it back and forth to any desired position. i

To the rear of the lug I02 there is an opening I07 in the shell 2 through which extends an angular pressed-out portion I08 of. the inner plate 4, the rear wall of which is vertical and has an opening IIII therein through which the opposite end-of the rod I I16 projects. A sheet metal angular nut locking member H2 is also secured in the opening IIII1 around the rod and holds nut H4 through which the threaded portion II6 on the rod is applied; On the outside of the portion IE8 the rod carries a lock nut H8 and the end of the rod is headed as at I20 and has a slot therein for adjustment.

In orderv to adjust the reflector 54 about a vertical axis the nut H8 is loosened and the rod I06 rotated in the desired direction which feeds the rod either forward or back to push or allow the strap to move under the influence of spring 98 which moves the inner edge of the reflector back or forward. The reflector of course pivots about its connection to the strap 56 diametrically opposite. and, as is evident from the drawings, this adjustf ment is made from inside the radiator shell and access may be had thereto by raising the hood 25.

In Fig. la' is shown a slightly modified construction for the strap 84 andspring bias therefor. In this form the strap 84 is secured to the reflector as in the previous'case and extends backinto the sub-housing 32, its end being bent atright angles to form a lug 85; Rigi-dly secured in an opening in the lug and with its main axis parallel to the body of the strap 84 is a rod 81. The rod 81 extends toward the-rear and through a long bearing 89 supported in an' opening 9| in the subhousing 32. This long bearing keeps the motion of the rod linear and prevents w'obbling upon its forward and rearward motion. Riveted onto the inner end of the rod 81, is a disk 93 against which the rod I06 presses as in the former case. Surrounding the shaft ofthe rod 81 behind the sub-housingis a helical spring which presses against the rear of the sub-housing and the disk 93 to keep the disk in contact with the adjusting rod I 06. The operation is, of course, the same as in the previous construction.

In the central part of the reflector is supported a conventional socket I22 for a bulb I24. In the sub-base, to the rear of. strap 56, is an opening which has a rubber grommet I26 therein and in the reinforcing plate 4 and the side of the shell is another opening supporting a second grommet I28. The necessary feed wires I30 are carried to the rear of the reflector through these grommets. Two wires are connected to socket I22 for the main headlamp and the other wires are connected to socket I32 supported in the upper part of the reflector and which carries a small bulb I34 for parking purposes.

In order to rotate the reflector about. a horizontal axis to give the proper vertical adjustment of the beam, the apparatus best shown in Fig. 2 is provided. In the lower portion of the sub-body 32 there is provided a pressed-out por tion I36 which is roughly V-shap'ed. In the two short ends of this portion area pair of aligned openings I38 and an adjusting screw I48 extends through these two openings and is freely rotat- This gives the horizontal adjustment angles thereto; This spacing member has a pair of aligned spaced openings I46 thereincthrough which the portion of the adjusting screwinirontof sectionISEfextends, the head of. the} screw engaging thelfront.oflthememberaf t 7 .Onthe .bodyof the. threaded portionrof the screw. is. a traveling nut I and extending from the nut to the inner face of the pressed-out portionand surrounding the screw is a helical. spring I00 whose-function itis to keep the head of the screwztightlyagainst the spacing member and assistdn feeding the nut along; The under surface of. the headcontains. raised portionsto engage serrations in the spacing m'ember IM' to keepa given setting; :i2 -:.Pivotally connected to the traveling nut was a double. strap [52 the ends-oi WhlChj DIOj0IS forwardly. and engage the lower periphery of the reflector; one end I54 engaging within the flange 'I4T'an'd the other i56 around thefiange so that the latter is clamped betweenthetwo. It Willthus be evident that as the screw I ifi is rotatedithe nut 148 will move in or out and exer't apullor apush on the strap which is transmitted to the reflector rim atthe' bottom androtates; the'rreflector: about an axis through the strap supports. I

"In the outershell of the headlamplg opposite' the head of the adjusting screw M53; is an open ing I58 through which ascrew driver or other suitableinstrumnt may be inserted in order torotate the screw I40 for adjusting purposes; It'f will thus be evident that the-reflector 54 may be adjusted for aiming' either about a horizontal or vertical axis without removing any-part" of the headlampbut by merely utilizing a screw driver'to-turn either'the adjustingscrew I56 for rotation about a horizontal axis orby loosening nut II8 and then turningthe' rod liifirfor .adjustment about" a vertical axis. This' -i'latter" adjustment is accessible by raising the hood'a'ndacquiring access' to the inner- -portion of the radiator shell.

t'In" the modified form shown in Figs.'10-l3, inclusive,"the main body of the headlamp'is formed of "aff presse'd' metal portion I60 of a-por tionofametor-car, such as. the tender. 'Inthis I pressed-out p'o'rtion there is a vertical circular opening around which thebedy is flanged as at I62. Carried 'circ'umferentiallybn this flange I62 is a ring member" I66 the same being secured thereto by machi ne screws 168- which project through the ring andthe flange to be threaded 7 into a nut I64. In the ring I66 there is .a series of circumferentially spaced hollowed-out portions I10 within which there are supported strap springs I12, the outer face of the ring at these points being in the form best shownin Fig. 12, as of irregular outline I14. As in the former instance, there may be any number of these points but the preferable number would be three.

A sub-frame member I16 fits within the circular opening in the main body I61) and has'a flanged edge portion I18. Within this flanged edge portion there is provided a circumferential groove I of U-shaped cross section within which is supported a deformable asket 182.

The bottomportion of the groove,I80 carries a seriesoi headed-3 rivets I84 which are circumferentially spaced-to normally lie opposite the hollowed-out portions 110. Therefore in applying the sub-housing to the main body the pins 5.84 are: projected. through the slots I'M, their heads proceeding into the hollowed-out portion and contacting the springs H2. The whole subbody. isthenrctatedfitoward the right asshown in Fig. 12'until: theshaft of the pins lies within. the small end-portion of the slot I'I4, its headthen preventingran axial withdrawal of the subbody from the main body. This type is known as the bayonet connection. The spring I'IZ presses against the head" to maintain it in its proper position.

Positioned within the central opening in the sub body is a reflector I86 which has an outwardly and then rearwardlyjfianged edge I88 which is" supported-at the two opposite ends of its horizontal axis-by asimil'ar construction to that shown in the first form of our'invention,

the support on one side being identicalwith that shown in Fig. l :at the upper portion of the drawing involving the'fixdstrap 56. The opposite. side is supported by an adjustable strap similar to strap 84, shown 'inFig. 1 with the exception that in this case the "rear portion of the strap 5%" extends through an opening'in the sub-body anddsbent' at right angles toitself as at I89 and the upper endf thereof' is provided with a flanged opening I 96 which is "internallyjthreaded. Also securedrigidly 'to the outer 'surface of the sub-body H6 is an angled member I92 having an opening N t-in axial. alignment with the threaded opening I96." Theyforward portion of the flanged edge/and ringmembers I64 and I66 also 'have'an aligned opening therein for the insertion of an adjusting screw I96, the elongated'head 1 of which-"extends through this last names opening and the smallerbody' portion ex- ,7 tehds intoopening I'MPthethreaded end being threaded through the opening I and a cotter 'iBBfbei'ngappIied to the-innermost end to prevent entire "withdrawal offthe same. There is also an opening I95 in the base of the} groove 'I8B thi'ough which'thescrew I96 may be insertedjor adjusted. Between the two brackets I39 and1I92 the shaft ot the adjusting screw is encircledby acompressedhelical spring 200, the-3 purpose of which is to force the bracket I89 rear- Wardly and cause the strap 84 to slide upon its rivet 92v whichmotion is, fof course, transmitted to thereflector.

. "I'lie=fsl1owing in" Fig. 14 is 7 substantially the same'as that shown in Fig'. 1-1 in whichfan adjusting'scr'ew N36 has a head thereon projecting through the ring member I66 and is supported in an angled member I92 projected upwardlyirorn th'e sub lious'ing. I'Hi. 'As 'in theformer in-" stance: the innermost portion .of the adjusting screw I96 is ofv smaller diameter and is threaded for a substantial portion of its length. A strap M is attached to the reflector at its forward portion in the same manner as before, the rearward end of which is bent at an angle as shown at 23!! and carries a pin 232 riveted thereto, said pin extending through a bushing 2 34, said'bushing being carried in an opening in the rear face of the sub-housing I16. Theprojecting portion of the pin 232 has riveted thereto a vertical plate 236 in the upper portion of which is a threaded opening 238 through which the rearward end of the adjusting screw I96 projects. Concentric with the axis of the screw I96 and surrounding so. a

pressing against the deformable gasket I82.

the portion of smaller diameter between the plate 236 and the angled member 192 is a helical spring 246 which assists when the screw is turned to move the plate 236 back and forth which action is transmitted through the pin 232 to the strap 84" and'thus moves the reflector toits proper position.

In order to provide for the vertical adjustment ofthe beam in this case, which necessitates rotating the reflector about its horizontal axis, the lower portion of the sub-body is pressed out as before to form a roughly V-shaped section 262, the two end portions of which areprovided with aligned openings 26 through which extends a rod 265. Upon the body of this rod; between the two openings, there is secured a nut 268 against one face of which is resiliently pressed a hinge nut 2l6 by an encircling helical spring 2l2, the opposite end of which bears against the inner surface of the pressed-out portion 262. Pivotally secured to this hinge nut 2H] is a double strap I52, as in the former case the ends of the strap engaging the flanged edge I68 of the reflector in the same manner as previously described.

The portion of the rod 206 extending rearwardly from the sub-body has an enlarged head 2 l4 having an eye 2 l6 therein in which is adapted to engage one end of a thin angled rod H8 and form pi'votal engagement therewith. Secured to the outer face of the sub-body below the pressedout portion 262 is an angledbracket 220 which is adapted to carry an adjusting screw 222 of the same construction as the adjusting screw I96. The inwardly projecting threaded end of the screw 222 carries thereon a driving nut 224 to which is pivotally secured the opposite end of the thin rod M8. The forward portion of the adjusting screw 222 of course projects through the flanged edgein order to be accessible.

A conventional headlight lens 226 supported by a split rim 228 upon the forward face of the housing engaging the ring I66 in any well known manner, closes the front of the assembly by In this form of the invention it is therefore evident that in order to adjust the aiming of the reflector either about a horizontal or vertical axis it is of course necessary to remove the lens and then the two adjusting screws I96 and 222 will be accessible to tilt the reflector by merely turning the same with a screw driver or other similar instrument.

We claim:

1. In a headlamp having a lens and a casing supporting said lens, an adjustable reflector enclosed by the casing for cooperation with the lens, and a pivotal support for theireflector including a forwardly projectingfinger extended through an opening in the rim of the reflector, a pin carried by the reflector and loosely engaging an aperture in said finger and a hairpin spring bearing at its bight on said finger and at its leg extremities on said reflector rim.

2. In a headlamp having a lens and a casing supporting said lens, an adjustable reflector enclosed by the casing for cooperation with the lens, and a pivotal support for the reflector including a pair of fingers projecting at circumferentially spaced points through the rim of the reflector, radial pins on the reflector entering loosely within said fingers and a hairpin spring associated with each finger with its bight bearing on the finger and its legs bearing on the reflector rim.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein one of said fingers is movable axially of the casing for aiming the reflector.

4. In a headlamp having a lens and a casing supporting said lens, an adjustable reflector enclosed by the casing for cooperation with the lens, and a pivotal support for the reflector including a pair of fingers projecting at circumferentially spaced points through the rim of the reflector, radial pins on the reflector entering loosely within said fingers and a hairpin spring associated with each finger with its bight bear ing on the finger and. its legs bearing on the reflector rim and adjustable means engaging the reflector in spaced relation to said fingers to swing the same about said pins.

5. In a headlamp having a lens, a lamp casing supporting said lens, a sub-body resiliently mounted in the casing for peripheral sealing engagement with the lens, reflector supporting devices carried by said sub-body, an adjustable reflectorpivotally mounted at circumferentially spaced points on said supports for cooperation with said lens, means adjustably mounted on the casing and operable from outside the casing to shift one of said supports in adjusting said reflector. and additional means operatively connected with the reflector and accessible from outside the casing to tilt the reflector on said supports.

6. In a headlamp having a lens, a casing supporting the lens, a shiftable member adjustably mounted inrand projected through the casing wall, an adjustable reflector for cooperation with said lens, a sub-body having supporting devices engaging the reflector in circumferentially spaced relation to mount the same adjustably therein, one of said reflector supporting devices being shiftable in the sub-body and means mounting the sub-body on'the casing in peripheral sealing engagement with the lens and presenting said shiftable reflector supporting device for operative relation to said shiftable casing mounted member.

CLARENCE A. MICHEL. HOWARD c. MEAD. ROBERT WINKELMEYER. 

